Montana

‘Yellowstone’ highlights influence behind a changing Montana

Published

1 year ago

November 24, 2024

‘Yellowstone’ highlights influence behind a changing Montana

The popular “Yellowstone” TV series, set and filmed in Montana, taps into a lesser-known chapter of the state’s history: its settlement by Confederates and ex-Confederates during and after the Civil War.

I come to this story with a unique perspective. I’m a fourth-generation Montanan. I’m also a scholar of U.S. Western literary and cultural studies and left the state in my 20s to pursue a career in academia.

Then, during the pandemic, I returned to Montana for a time to lead a statewide cultural organization that connects Montana’s history and literature to its modern-day residents.

That’s why, for me, the story of the show’s protagonist, John Dutton III, who heads a wealthy-but-embattled Montana ranching family, is not just a cultural phenomenon. Rather, “Yellowstone” offers insights into the dynamics that are currently influencing a changing Montana.

Montana’s little-known legacy

One of the series’ prequels, “1883,” provides the crucial backstory for the Dutton family’s journey to Montana.

James Dutton, portrayed by Tim McGraw, was a former Confederate captain; his wife, Maggie, was a nurse for the Confederate Army. In leaving behind their war-torn lives to seek new opportunities, they mirror the historical trend that saw Confederate settlers moving West during and after the Civil War.

According to Montana historian and scholar Ken Robison, Confederate prisoners of war languishing in Union prisons were paroled to western territories like Montana. By 1864, two such parolees had discovered gold in what is still called Confederate Gulch, at the time one of the largest settlements in Montana Territory. Other settlements, such as Dixie Town and Jeff Davis Gulch, dotted the landscape. Montana’s territorial capital was briefly called Varina, named after the Confederate president’s wife.

Although there is no way to know for certain, it’s possible that during the latter half of the war, half of Montana Territory’s residents — maybe 30,000 — were pro-secession. Some had been in Confederate service; the rest shared their sentiments.

After the war, many of those Confederates stayed. By the late 1800s, Montana was home to 13 United Confederate Veterans organizations totaling 176 members. In 1916, the Montana Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy erected a Confederate memorial in Helena, the state capital; it stood for a century. The 1920s saw the rise of about 40 Ku Klux Klan chapters across the state to promote xenophobic policies against immigrants and racist policies against nonwhites. Today, Montana remains one of the whitest states in the U.S. — about 85% of Montanans are white; less than 1% are Black.

Recasting the ‘Lost Cause’

Numerous historical echoes surface briefly in “Yellowstone.”

In Season 2, there’s a violent confrontation involving a militia group that displays Confederate and “Don’t Tread on Me” flags. This subplot speaks to Montana’s long history as a hub for populist and anti-government movements. The Southern Poverty Law Center reports that Montana has 17 hate and anti-government groups, which include three defined as white supremacist or neo-Nazi.

This depiction of militia groups in “Yellowstone” represents the broader history of populist resistance in the American West. From the Sagebrush Rebellion of the 1970s to the Montana Freemen’s standoff with federal agents in the 1990s, Westerners have often resisted federal control over land and resources — tensions that perhaps trace back to the Confederacy’s own secession, a resistance rooted in defiance of federal authority, particularly over slavery.

After the Confederacy’s defeat, the “Lost Cause” narrative, in an attempt to preserve Southern pride, recast the South’s secession as a fight for states’ rights, and not a defense of slavery.

Those Lost Cause connections reverberate through John Dutton III’s relentless battle to preserve his family’s ranch. Fighting overwhelming political and economic pressures, Dutton remains steadfast in his determination to hold onto the land, even when it goes against his best interests.

This tenacity reflects the Lost Cause mindset — a clinging to a nostalgia-tinged, yet unattainable, past. Dutton embodies the archetype of the “aggrieved white man,” a figure central to many populist movements, who feels displaced from his former position of power in politics, work and family life.

Populist contradictions

It’s hard to discern to what degree recent changes in Montana can be attributed to “Yellowstone.” What is certain: Today’s longtime Montana residents find themselves exposed to a fresh set of political, economic and cultural forces.

Tourism and the local economy are up, due in part to the “Yellowstone” effect. But so are concerns about the rising costs of most everything, particularly houses.

These trends have been spurred, in part, by outsiders moving to Montana — newcomers who romanticize the state’s hardscrabble past and what they perceive as its current rough-hewn lifestyle.

What’s more, Montana has morphed from a purple state known for its political independence into a reliably conservative stronghold.

The drastic shift from purple to red solidified in 2020 with the election of a Republican governor after 16 years of Democratic leadership. It was further underscored by the defeat of Democratic Sen. Jon Tester by Republican Tim Sheehy in the 2024 election.

In “Yellowstone,” as Dutton is sworn in as Montana’s new Republican governor, he tells his constituents that he is “the opposite of progress” in response to changes that outside influences are bringing to the state.

Yet the politics of “Yellowstone” are “hard to pin down,” and the Duttons themselves espouse various versions of left- and right-wing populism as they simultaneously battle and embody the political and economic elite.

By the same token, Montanans resent wealthy outsiders but have given them political power by voting them into office.

Montana’s current governor, Greg Gianforte, is a tech millionaire, originally from Pennsylvania; Sheehy, similarly, is a wealthy out-of-stater.

Neither one might approve of the fictional Gov. Dutton’s proposed policy of doubling property and sales taxes for out-of-state “transplants” — though many Montanans probably would. For some, the rapid changes of the past few years have been, like life for the Dutton family, a challenge.

Randi Lynn Tanglen served as professor of English at Austin College in Texas (2008-2020), executive director of Humanities Montana (2020-2022), and is currently vice provost for faculty affairs at the University of North Dakota (2023-present). She holds degrees from Rocky Mountain College, the University of Montana and the University of Arizona.

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Montana

Swiss Alpine bar fire claims 41st victim, an 18-year-old Swiss national

Published

9 hours ago

February 1, 2026

Press Room

Swiss Alpine bar fire claims 41st victim, an 18-year-old Swiss national

Flower tributes are placed at the entrance of the “Le Constellation” bar and lounge where a fire which broke out during New Year’s celebrations left 40 people dead and over 100 injured, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP)

Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP

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Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP

ZURICH — An 18-year-old Swiss national has died in a Zurich hospital from injuries sustained in a Swiss Alpine bar fire, bringing the death toll to 41 a month after the tragedy.

People mourn behind flowers and letters near the sealed off Le Constellation bar, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, on Friday, Jan. 2.

The victim died on Saturday, according to the Swiss public prosecutor. The prosecutor said in a statement Sunday it would provide no further information on the status of the investigation.

Investigators have said they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire when they came too close to the ceiling at the packed Le Constellation bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, less than two hours after midnight on Jan. 1. Authorities are looking into whether soundproofing material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar. Fire safety inspections hadn’t been carried out since 2019.

Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the owners — French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti — on suspicion of negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm and causing a fire by negligence. The court of compulsory measures in the southwestern Valais region on Jan. 12 ordered three months of pretrial detention for Jacques Moretti, but on Jan. 23 ordered his release on bail.

With high-altitude ski runs rising around 3,000 meters (nearly 9,850 feet) in the heart of the Valais region, Crans-Montana is a major destination for international alpine skiing competitions.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life results for Jan. 31, 2026

Published

22 hours ago

February 1, 2026

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Jan. 31, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 31 drawing

02-08-14-40-63, Powerball: 23, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 31 drawing

09-13-25-30-43, Lucky Ball: 18

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Jan. 31 drawing

07-21-47-48-49, Star Ball: 03, ASB: 03

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Jan. 31 drawing

01-04-19-26, Bonus: 13

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Jan. 31 drawing

14-18-19-31-59, Powerball: 13

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from Jan. 31 drawing

01-04-15-17-18

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Blanc Wins Crans-Montana Super-G, Johnson Breaks Through

Published

1 day ago

January 31, 2026

Press Room

Blanc Wins Crans-Montana Super-G, Johnson Breaks Through

Malorie Blanc / GEPA pictures

Women’s Super-G, Crans-Montana: Blanc delivers a home win as Johnson puts the Stifel U.S. Ski Team on the podium

Crans-Montana delivered the kind of bluebird Super-G day racers dream about — grippy snow, great light, and a course the women could truly attack. And attack they did, with a stunning hometown breakthrough from Switzerland’s Malorie Blanc, and a massive moment for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team as Breezy Johnson charged onto her first World Cup Super-G podium.

Top 5

CRANS MONTANA, SWITZERLAND, 31.JAN.26 – Sofia Goggia (ITA), Malorie Blanc (SUI) and Breezy Johnson (USA). Photo: GEPA pictures/ Avni Retkoceri

1st 🇨🇭 Malorie Blanc (SUI) — bib 17 — +0.00 — 2004 — Atomic
2nd 🇮🇹 Sofia Goggia (ITA) — bib 13 — +0.18 — 1992 — Atomic
3rd 🇺🇸 Breezy Johnson (USA) — bib 29 — +0.36 — 1995 — Atomic
4th 🇮🇹 Roberta Melesi (ITA) — bib 2 — +0.42 — 1996
5th 🇩🇪 Kira Weidle-Winkelmann (GER) — bib 18 — +0.44 — 1996

Top Five — Women’s Super-G Standings (entering the Olympics)

1st 🇮🇹 Sofia Goggia (ITA, 1992, Atomic) — 280 pts
2nd 🇳🇿 Alice Robinson (NZL, 2001) — −60
3rd 🇺🇸 Lindsey Vonn (USA, 1984, Head) — −90
4th 🇫🇷 Romane Miradoli (FRA, 1994) — −99
5th 🇨🇭 Malorie Blanc (SUI, 2004, Atomic) — −127

How the race unfolded

Austria’s Ariane Rädler opened the day by setting the first benchmark (1:17.95), but Italy quickly took control. Roberta Melesi (bib 2) tightened her line and lowered the mark to 1:17.76, immediately putting pressure on the early favorites.

The first major threats followed quickly. Kajsa Vickhoff Lie couldn’t unseat the then-leader and skied into the finish +0.46 at the time, while Alice Robinson — still searching for her best top-end speed — came close, just +0.09 back. As the race unfolded, Robinson would eventually slide to sixth (+0.51).

Then the race turned dramatic. Italy’s Elena Curtoni (bib 8) went down and did not finish, another major contender erased. Soon after, Germany’s Emma Aicher (bib 12), the Tarvisio Super-G winner, crashed in the same turn that ended Lindsey Vonn’s downhill day. Aicher was able to get up and ski to the finish.

Italy’s speed queen answered next. Sofia Goggia (bib 13) grabbed the advantage early, gave time back through the middle, then re-attacked with trademark aggression to take the lead by 0.24, lighting up the timing board with her on-the-limit style.

While Vonn appeared on the start list — a sign her team believed there was a chance — it remained a game-day decision. In the end, she did not start as she continues to recover from Friday’s downhill crash.

The emotional center of the race was also at the top. Federica Brignone racing a Super-G was a significant moment — her first speed discipline start since last spring’s injury. She skied solidly, finished safely (18th, +1.28), and took another encouraging step as she builds toward Cortina.

Blanc shocks the field in front of her home crowd

Then the stadium erupted.

Switzerland’s Malorie Blanc (bib 17) delivered the run of her life in her own backyard — fast, clean, and right on the edge of control — vaulting into the leader’s chair and eventually into her first World Cup victory. With Switzerland eager for a new speed headline after losing its top Super-G skier earlier this season, Blanc’s breakthrough could not have come at a better moment.

Blanc had never stood on a World Cup Super-G podium before — and now she was winning in front of a sold-out home crowd in Crans-Montana.

“It’s incredible, and I still have a little trouble realizing it,” Blanc said. “I’ll wait until the end just to be sure it’s real. It means so much to me — to show this to my fans and to people who love skiing. I really wanted to do something great here, and I’m very thankful I could do it.”

Blanc admitted the run itself didn’t feel perfect.

“The feeling wasn’t that good on the slope,” she said. “I thought I was making some mistakes, but I just kept going. Then I crossed the finish line and heard the crowd — it was sold out — and I thought, ‘OK, maybe it’s not that bad.’ I’m just so happy.”

With the Olympic Winter Games next on the calendar — and Crans-Montana the final race before Cortina — Blanc said she isn’t looking too far ahead yet.

“I’m just living the moment,” Blanc said. “It will be my first Olympics, so I want to enjoy it and see what happens.”

Goggia continues strong season

While Malorie Blanc thrilled the home crowd with her breakthrough victory, Sofia Goggia continued her strong Super-G campaign with a second-place finish, reinforcing her momentum heading into the Olympic Winter Games.

“I’m really happy with my performance today,” Goggia said. “My January wasn’t that good, especially in downhill, but I knew this hill suited me, so I just tried to ski my best.”

Goggia said there were still areas she felt she could improve, but she was satisfied with the way she attacked the course in the final race before the Games.

“I made a mistake in the middle and didn’t carry enough speed there,” she said. “But I’m really happy with the way I’ve been attacking the race.”

Breezy Johnson makes it a Stifel U.S. Ski Team celebration

CRANS MONTANA, SWITZERLAND, 31.JAN.26 – Breezy Johnson (USA). Photo: GEPA pictures/ Avni Retkoceri

Breezy Johnson delivered one of the biggest results of her career, charging to third place (+0.36) for her first-ever World Cup Super-G podium — a huge moment for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team in the final race before the Olympics.

“I’ve been working on Super-G for a really long time,” Johnson said. “I respect Super-G — I think it’s the hardest event. I always wanted to be good at it, but I didn’t expect that run to be what got me to the podium.”

Johnson said her focus was to keep attacking even when things got messy.

“I just tried to keep it running,” she said. “Every time I made a mistake, I forgot about it and kept going.”

The run felt fast but unpredictable.

“It’s almost like downhill,” Johnson said, “but there were places where it was a little all over the place. Down at the bottom I thought I was about to straddle that gate, so that was a little crazy.”

The timing of the result mattered as much as the result itself.

“I hadn’t even qualified to race the Super-G in Cortina before today,” Johnson said. “I really wanted to race that Super-G, so I just wanted to come out and give it my best.”

Bocock builds Olympic confidence with top-15 result

For Mary Bocock, Friday’s Super-G was a meaningful step forward at exactly the right time.

“It’s very exciting, especially after yesterday was a tough day for all the girls mentally and with the conditions,” Bocock said. “I was a little nervous today, but I’m very, very happy with how it went.”

Bocock said the technical nature of the Crans-Montana course played to her strengths.

“I love this track because it’s very technical,” she said. “I’m really happy I was able to execute my plan.”

The 15th-place finish marked one of the best results of Bocock’s young World Cup career and sends her to the Olympic Winter Games with confidence.

“This is amazing because now I’m going from my best result straight into the Olympics,” Bocock said. “It gives me confidence knowing I can ski well, and Cortina can also be a pretty technical track.”

Bocock said the feedback afterward reinforced that confidence.

“They just kept saying, ‘Good job, Mary,’” she said. “They told me I looked a little loose, which I was, but also that I looked confident — and that’s always good to hear.”

More fireworks: Pirovano disqualified after leading late

Italy’s day could have been even bigger. Lara Pirovano was leading with one split to go before missing a gate just before the finish and being disqualified. Even so, the message is clear: the Italians are skiing very fast as they head toward their home Olympics.

Bibs 31+ who finished inside the top 30

15th ⚡ 🇺🇸 Mary Bocock (USA) — bib 38 — +1.16 — 2003
17th 🇺🇸 Jacqueline Wiles (USA) — bib 47 — +1.27 — 1992
21st 🇦🇹 Julia Scheib (AUT) — bib 32 — +1.39 — 1998
27th 🇮🇹 Nicol Delago (ITA) — bib 42 — +1.81 — 1996 — Atomic
28th 🇨🇭 Priska Ming-Nufer (SUI) — bib 48 — +2.15 — 1992 (highest bib in top 30)
29th 🇨🇭 Janine Schmitt (SUI) — bib 34 — +2.16 — 2000

USA skiers in the top 30

3rd 🇺🇸 Breezy Johnson (USA) — bib 29 — +0.36 — 1995 — Atomic
15th 🇺🇸 Mary Bocock (USA) — bib 38 — +1.16 — 2003
17th 🇺🇸 Jacqueline Wiles (USA) — bib 47 — +1.27 — 1992
19th 🇺🇸 Tricia Mangan (USA) — bib 21 — +1.32 — 1997 — Head
25th 🇺🇸 Keely Cashman (USA) — bib 16 — +1.61 — 1999 — Head

Stifel U.S. Ski Team depth: five women in the points

Beyond Johnson’s podium, it was another statement day for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team: five women scored points, a strong performance from a very strong squad. Bocock’s surge was particularly encouraging — only her second points result after the season-opening St. Moritz Super-G (the race that secured her Olympic spot), and she attacked today with unmistakable Olympic energy.